An Embarrassing Portrait Photography Mistake

[@oudviola]

Large format camera movements for focus are certainly tricky! Some nice images though.

[@jeki6035]

For instructional videos, the mistakes ARE invaluable for teaching.

[@JPWineberg]

Failure is the only way to success! Speaking from experience, a blurry image of your loved ones is always better than no image at all! We aren't here forever and even blurry memories can be amazing.

[@innstikk]

Mistakes are more educational than perfect results. Like a lot the portraits.

[@KarinMajoka]

True, at least for the person making them. I hope there is still something educational for people who are watching as well!

[@innstikk]

@@KarinMajoka No, also for us. I have made the same mistakes as you, though with digital. Stings the same... Ich liebe Ihre Inhalte, weil sie echt sind! Das vorletzte Porträt gefällt mir so wie es ist. Ich bin nicht der Meinung, dass es besser sein sollte, wenn es geändert wird.

[@imagegod]

I'm a photographer, and I'll say one thing for sure: A photographer almost CERTAINLY sees there own 'mistakes' in a way that most people never would. I never would have noticed the slight off-plane focus...You have a wonderful channel...Keep up the good work and know that MANY people appreciate your work...Peace.

[@KarinMajoka]

That typical artist's perfectionism is definitely real 😅 I am much more critical towards myself than towards other people's work. Thank you for your kind words, I appreciate it a lot!

[@JamieMPhoto]

Oh yes, I've done this even after years of experience. ha. You still did very well!

[@KarinMajoka]

That is kind of encouraging yet also disenchanting to hear haha. Thanks for your comment, Jamie! :)

[@JamieMPhoto]

@@KarinMajoka Ha, there's always recovery! It's also why I just shoot more ... the next one is almost always way better. :)

[@BeingWolfy]

Don't be so hard on yourself. We've all made these types of mistakes. I appreciate you for sharing the mistake too. Most people would have just cut that out of the video, but you're keeping it real. Btw, this video is very inspiring. It's making me regret selling my 4x5 camera recently. Which 4x5 camera do you have?

[@KarinMajoka]

Truly, thank you for your comment! This means a lot. Sharing these mistakes feels embarrassing yet somehow relieving since I feel like we need to establish a more open environment towards mistakes in general. And the camera I use is a Chamonix N2. :)

[@BeingWolfy]

@KarinMajoka - I forgot to say that I really enjoyed the portraits you made too. 💜

[@Foxglove963]

@BeingWolfy No, we don't all make these mistakes. Maybe you do, seeing that you sold your camera.

[@williamshaffer9216]

Don't beat yourself up! We all make mistakes. It gives usthe option to learn from them and not repeat them. .

[@andrewhowarth4578]

Karin, we all learn from making mistakes. Focus far, swing near is a concept that you only master through use. I will offer one piece of advice, which applies to all group shots where the photographer intends to be included. Do the setup yourself, with a stand in taking your position, even marking the spot if possible. Then switch positions and shoot. I always appreciate your compositional advice for making shots better. You're so analytical! Andy

[@pantonbleu7612]

Danke für das tolle Video. Und auch wenn das Gruppenfoto misslungen ist, hast du super Bilder von deiner Familie gemacht. Mach weiter. 👍👍👍👍👍👍❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@KarinMajoka]

Vielen vielen Dank für den Kommentar, das weiß ich sehr zu schätzen! :)

[@Caballeroshot]

You're not just learning from your mistakes, you're also a teacher for all of us following your channel. This information is invaluable and while it may be frustrating to see results you didn't hope for, there are other results you don't see like the wealth of information you share through your efforts making such good content video after video.

[@KarinMajoka]

That is a nice change of perspective - thank you! At least I hope it will protect some people from making the same mistake as well.

[@dr.seltsam1975]

Fall, get up, fix your crown and continue beeing awesome ✌🏻Don‘t be so hard to yourself 😊

[@KarinMajoka]

Well said! 👑 thanks for your comment! :)

[@efhurtado]

Your channel showed up in my timeline, for whatever the reason, and it was a nice experience. Photography is not only a trial-and-error process but also a wave motion learning process… sometimes up, sometimes down but always educational. The pictures of your family are nice because they are original. Keep at it!

[@AlejandroGonzalez-AGS]

No need to be so hard on yourself…we all make mistakes and hopefully we learn from them. You are coming a long way with that Chamonix… you look very similar to your sister! Nice family…thanks for sharing. Be safe. Cheers

[@thomaskrummrey873]

Danke für dein Video! Ich bereite gerade selbst ein größeres Portraitprojekt mit der Großformatkamera vor und finde es gut, dass du deine Erfahrungen teilst.

[@sprocket_holes]

I'm sure it's not easy to talk about mistakes and put it out there, but your videos are always so honest and I love it. The only way to improve is to learn from mistakes and always try to improve!

[@KarinMajoka]

Thanks for your kind words, I am very glad to hear my videos come across that way because I at least try to be honest and real. :)

[@sprocket_holes]

@@KarinMajoka It's very clear that you are! Please never change :)

[@spec-productions5733]

Enjoyed your video. 😎A couple tips FWIW from a retired pro photog specializing in people photography. (Added a tip at the end to save your picture.) A little background: My two working formats were 35mm and medium 6x6 (Hasselblad). While there are endless discussions about depth of field (i.e., arguing format doesn't impact, etc.), generally speaking... and in a practical sense, the larger the format, the less forgiving (shallower) the depth of field. Thus, if I was tasked with using a large format camera--having never used one before, I'd be very particular (concerned) about the plain of focus and depth of field. Even with 35mm and using f8 when photographing groups as small as two, I was very particular to make sure the subject's eyes lined up with the plane of focus. It's not natural for people to pose themselves this way... take a group of 3 for instance: Ask them to sand together, and they will form an arc or a cup if looked from top-down. This means the center person has to be brought forward, which feels a little unnatural to the group. As the group gets larger, this cupping effect grows (looking top-down). Even with two people, they'll often stand where one person is closer to the camera than the other. Since eyes are critical to a picture looking in focus, every person in the group must have their eyes lined up with the plane of focus, which means jostling people as necessary until mission accomplished. With the Hasselblad, especially in darker conditions (mandating lower f-stop), much of my setup time was used to get people as lined up on the plane of focus as possible. IMHO, this would make a more natural looking picture vs. shifting the focal plane with the camera back. Tips: When taking critical pictures as your family grouping was, never rely on a single image. Due to the restrictions of large format, bring a 2nd camera along and create backup shots... just in case. This could be a high rez digital camera (i.e., modern mirrorless), or with film, perhaps medium format. Mirrorless is extremely fast, so that would be my choice when doing something that has personal value. As for saving your family picture, don't be shy about leveraging modern technology. You can digitally "replace" the eyes from a different picture, making your photograph look sharp. You'd need to match the lighting as close as possible, and face direction. Toward the end of my photography career around 2003 or so, digital was almost unheard of for pro work. I worked for a studio that pioneered scanning negatives, then using a very early version Photoshop for digital manipulation. One of their "unheard of" features was the ability to "open eyes" in photos. I cut my teeth on photoshop, working in their lab, frequently copying open eyes from one photograph and inserting over closed eyes in another. With lighting and pose matching, it's nearly impossible to tell the manipulation was done. With your picture, a bit more finessing would be required to transition from sharp to soft, but it's certainly within the realm of possibilities. Thanks again for sharing your work and experience. 👍

[@sgroadie6367]

I think the portraits look good. Will be also useful to tell us what lens (other than the 90mm), aperture and shutter speed. Thanks for sharing.

[@c.augustin]

Just tried to make swing/tilt work for me (with a 150 mm lens) - and couldn't make it work. As someone else pointed out: Movements are tricky! Though, rise/fall and left/right shift are the easy ones … 😉

[@conipez]

Thanks for sharing this. It might be difficult to share mistakes online, but for some of us who are watching, it's super relieving to see someone get vulnerable and show the real process behind it. I cannot imagine myself struggling to figure out things with such a big camera in a public place. I'd be crazy anxious haha. Love your channel :)

[@KarinMajoka]

It’s one thing making those mistakes only for yourself, but sharing them kind of feels different. Thank you for your kind comment, I appreciate it a lot! And yes, that camera is definitely an eye catcher and you get comments from strangers all the time haha

[@paradiseburns2600]

Absolutely ecstatic to see you using the large format. I’ve just bought an Intrepid 4x5 so you’ve given me inspiration to get off my butt and use it. What tripod was that fantastic looking wooden one you’re using. It matches perfectly

[@GAROBERBERIAN]

Great photos Karin

[@SweetLouPhotography]

Something I really love is hearing the different names for shots (like wide vs full shots) BUT what stood out to me is you called your composition an "American" which growing up here in the Northeast of America, I've always heard that one called a "Cowboy shot" hahahaha. Mistakes are part of the game, I still think you got a cool shot of your family there despite the focus. I recently completely blew a studio shoot with my Mamiya 645 (screwed up the sync speed with the studio flash) The good news about mistakes is you typically don't make the same one twice lol. Cheers

[@KarinMajoka]

Really?! That is toooo funny actually 😂 I have to admit that I just translated the German namens and hoped they would be correct in English as well. And thanks for your comment, Lou - I appreciate it. So unfortunate to hear that about your studio shoot. Did you have the chance to reshoot it somehow? I can assure you that my talent lays in making the same mistakes over and over again (😂) - but that's true, at least it lowers the probability of it happening again.

[@SweetLouPhotography]

@@KarinMajoka I would be genuinely thrilled if Cowboy just translated to American hahahahahahaha. And nope, I totally scuffed the shoot haha. Fortunately I took some on my Fuji XT4 (digital omg so cringe lol)

[@NorbiWhitney]

I genuinely laughed out loud when you were pointing the wrong way. Really nice video to watch and see how you analyse your shots, even if you did make a big mistake at the end... actually I did a very similar thing a few years ago when I was with my 2 siblings in Canada - we rarely see each other, so we have a pose which we photograph each time we are together. This time I decided it would be nice to take it on slide film with a TLR and gift the original to our parents. When I was focusing, something felt kind of sticky and weird, so for safety I decided to take a second shot. In the end something happened with the front panel and the focus plane was completely diagonal for the first shot with a result exactly like yours. Luckily the second shot came out perfect.

[@andykphoto]

Hey, mistakes are important, and you can help others avoid the same !

[@joanmichel]

I hear your thoughts but I think the portraits you took were great 👌🏽

[@KarinMajoka]

Thank you Joan, I appreciate it!

[@didiMao]

I really love this video Karin. I keep a sketchbook with prints where I note all my mistakes. It's a great way to learn and note areas of improvements. Thanks for being courageous in displaying the vulnerability in mistakes. Although we all make them we rarely hear about them. I enjoy the mistake photos a lot because it shows how much we care about what we enjoy and the pursuit of growth. Cheers!

[@tundrusphoto4312]

Thank you for this video. Your work is alway delightful - and artistically wonderful.

[@KarinMajoka]

Thank you, I appreciate it! 🤍

[@collincourtois8587]

I agree with BeingWolfy: Don't be so hard on yourself. I'm jealous of your talent and the way you approach your art. You are an inspiration. Keep up the good work and thanks for you videos.

[@KarinMajoka]

Thank you so much for your moving words, this means the world to me, seriously!

[@bryanswisshelm941]

Always learn from your videos. This one included!

[@KarinMajoka]

Glad to hear that besides the failed shot. Thank you! :)

[@andyjones5192]

I like the tonality of the shots and I think they turned out great. It’s good we are not free from making mistakes. That’s how we all learn. Won’t happen to you again…

[@KarinMajoka]

I am pretty happy with the tonality as well, especially when taking into account that it comes from one of the cheapest films ever. Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it! :)

[@andyvan5692]

one thing, most 'instructors' on youtube say to use the camera 'normally' (like a 35mm slr or point & shoot) and gradually add the movements to shots, gaining confidence, having only 1 new thing to the system, whether technique (holders, lens, movement), subject, film stock, but as always, with LF, PRACTICE often, it's all mechanical, and you NEED muscle memory to do things right, so Do still life (fruit in a bowl), then you can be behind the ground_Glass and see what you will get, and show on film the results, so when in pressurised situations you can know what will work, esp. the depth of field at each aperture setting, for each lens, their respective fields of view, etc. so you know just by a quick glance, what gear you need to effect your "previsualised" shot. tip, if, in your country you can afford polaroid (fuji instax wide), in a lomograflok back (if your camera can swallow it, or has the "grafflock" system to accept it without the ground_glass attached) use this for testing, it's quite a cheaper film stock, PLUS you can keep a record of what movement does what [make notes which movement and which direction on the border with a pen] to help make some guides for learning these cameras.

[@jasonf3959]

Mistakes happen. We are only idiots when we don't learn from those mistakes. I have double exposed sheets from two different sessions. On of those sheets, I shot two images from the second portrait session on top of one from a previous session. It was my own fault for not labeling the holders well enough and not immediately unloading the film holders after the shoot. But I lost two portrait sessions because of that mistake.

[@barbozz]

I also made the same mistake. Don't worry it is just a part of film photography journey

[@KarinMajoka]

Thanks for your comment, I appreciate it! I guess I feel so at home with 35mm and medium format that I am not used to making this very "technical" mistakes again. Well.. more mistakes to come in the future for sure 😅

[@Shephard1978]

Mistakes are part of the process. Embrace them whilst trying to avoid making them.

[@KarinMajoka]

Wise words, thank you!

[@Casiian_]

We all make mistakes and learning from them is how we improve. You can't build experience without messing up sometimes lol I recently messed up too when taking a self portrait with my sisters and I was disappointed because it would have been a great picture to have. I messed up the picture by forgetting to advance the film and accidentally doing a double exposure. Film can definitely be unforgiving if you mess up but just shake it off and continue to shoot. :)

[@KarinMajoka]

That is true and I 100% agree! But making mistakes is one thing - showing them to an audience is another thing 😅😂 Oh no, what a bummer this happened to you! But those types of double exposure mistakes sometimes are the most interesting ones.

[@jr8440]

Das schöne an solchen "Fehlern" ist, dass sie nur ein mal passieren.

[@KarinMajoka]

Das stimmt zum Glück!

[@andyvan5692]

great shots, and love the wooden tripod, is it a Ries?

[@KarinMajoka]

Thank you! :) It’s a Berlebach tripod I got in the set with the camera when I bought it.

[@devroombagchus7460]

Thanks! Don’t become too critical. No sun for the first portrait was just bad luck. They all turned out great. Yes, perhaps if…… But that is what we can always say. And perhaps the results would then have been less pleasing. We will never know. 😊

[@KarinMajoka]

Totally true, reflection is always good but those "what ifs" do not always help. Thanks for your comment! :)

[@thefilmdaddy]

Just found your channel Karin, and these are some lovely and important images-despite the mistakes! Besides, the tiny imperfections wither away the moment you learn something from them, which you obviously already have. I just sent a roll to the lab that I didn’t close properly so at least your images are well exposed and have no leaks 😂

[@KarinMajoka]

Thanks for stopping by my channel and taking the time to comment - I appreciate it a lot! Oh noooo, the unclosed roll sounds painful, sorry to hear! However, light leaks can sometimes also add something super interesting to the images. :)

[@benhoogland4698]

¨A desk, some pads, a pencil, and a large basket -- to hold all of my mistakes.¨ ~ Albert Einstein ~ I would add a well developed sense of humour into the mix...😀

[@bernardkelly235]

I really liked the portrait of your mother. As for group shots, they can be difficult and movements unpredictable. BTW, I don't recall seeing this tripod before. What make and model is it?

[@KarinMajoka]

Thank you! Yes, I have not taken so many (staged) group portraits before with such a shallow depth of field, they are next level difficult for sure! It’s a Berlebach tripod I got in the set with the camera :)

[@mistermars1479]

It is totally ok to mess up :)

[@Pixnstoriz]

It’s ok to make mistakes. I wish all the KZbinrs show more bad photos. The Reality is that we all make many bad photos for one « banger » shot :)

[@KarinMajoka]

That is 100% true for me, I am happy to have one good photo amongst 36 shots on a roll of film. Thanks for your comment! :)

[@FlipBerk]

Why your camera unleveled ?? 🤦‍♂️

[@ItsTheBigHorse]

your worst photos are better than my best photos :) the clarity and definition was amazing though, was that due to the camera or the film - or a combination of both?

[@ernestthomas9406]

you're concentrating on the wrong thing, your father's facial expression & character is cool & interesting & your mother's face of life is salmmin

[@KarinMajoka]

Perfectionism and self-criticism always lay closer than self-praise… so it can be difficult at times. But thanks for the change of perspective :)

[@faranji]

White side means unexposed, black side means shot! Almost universally anyway.. Doesn’t really matter if it’s just you but if you’re ever sharing holders with another LF photographer things could get messy.

[@KarinMajoka]

I know it’s used the other way around usually, but I don’t care. It makes absolutely zero sense to me. For me light side means = film has seen light.

[@BryanBirks]

Oh my...if I had a dollar for every time I missed focus...my goodness. Lol I wouldn't have to do KZbin anymore, that's for sure.

[@KarinMajoka]

Oh damn, I hoped those types of mistakes would not happen after a while, but that might just be my wishful thinking 😂

[@WhoIsSerafin]

They look wonderful. But your parents have such a serious look on their faces 😂

[@KarinMajoka]

Hahaha, I know 😂 To be fair, I am not as routined with 4x5 yet, so they had to stand in the same position for several minutes - they certainly looked happier at the beginning of each shot 😂

[@IndianVellaMunda]

I am majoka from 🇮🇳 India

[@jasongold6751]

It happens! It will happen again! I am old 79, successful professional! Early on, I made quick discoveries! One, the Linhof and i were never going to be friends! Leaky light in film holders, film sheets not fixed in place, impossible to really see image, on screen. Tripod mandatory. I moved to Medium format. The camera very expensive and a piece of garbage. Before we learn't the word, 'Shredder' i had a film shredder! (No! Not a Hasselblad).It was swapped for New Leica-M3 and 50mm Summicron! See it was expensive! Wow! The M3 is still in use! 1967~2023.! Now about the tragedy! 1. Take extra exposures! 1,2, or more, esp. with portaits! Eyes closed, movement, depth of field! Nicholas Nixon did a series of 5 sisters over many years. (40?) NN said Large Format.. I looked at the images, came to conclusion, same Leica and lens as me! They have that look! It's your nearest and dearest! Use a back up! I use phone often. Remember Oscar Barnack could not carry his 5x7" camera. He invented the 35mm, to test movie film.. 1914 he snapped photojournalistic style, floods in Wetzlar Germany. Pre WWOne! Why use a dead system! Yes better tonalty. But modern digital is very good, films are way better, than the past. Using the small Leica, I was free! Large format is styfling, slow, ponderous and make one feel a slave! Enjoy the moments! No gstalt, art theories, simply see, frame, push button. Depth of field is great! Oh! Depth of fiels markings on lenses are for 5x7"! Yes! Bigger, it shrinks! I'm not being otherwise! I love my life, snapping even in retiremet. I still develop film, in kitchen! Canonscan! Street find! Bravo! It takes guts to admit failure! Correct what can be corrected! I see you do have other cameras, will look at those!

[@FookFish]

and the am in the title ahahahaah

[@KarinMajoka]

Hahaha, I swear that was an accident and I fixed it now 😂

[@HikingwiththeBlindBoomer]

Your father's portrait looks like an Avendon.Having dificulty with tilt and swings when pressed by impatient models isn't unusual, you'll be fine.

[@HOMER963369]

And am "embarrassing" typo in the video title ;p

[@KarinMajoka]

Ohhh snap, I did not even notice hahaha. Thanks for pointing it out!

[@HOMER963369]

@@KarinMajoka You're welcome! :3

[@joekugelblitz4144]

Ich bin Musiklehrer... ich verstehe meinen Job so, dass ich als Lehrer jeden möglichen und unmöglichen Fehler schon mal gemacht habe, und deshalb weiss, was funktioniert und was nicht funktioniert. Also müssen meine Schüler diese Fehler schon nicht mehr selbst machen... ;o))

[@KarinMajoka]

Schön, dies mal aus der „lerntheoretischen“ Perspektive zu hören. Danke fürs Teilen! :)

[@Grestock]

lol, that wasn't "damnnnnn". 😂

[@Foxglove963]

Why the ring through your nose, which is also seen on other persons you photograph, what cult is it? Possibly it is best to start with still lifes and landscapes, getting better acquainted with the camera movements, and then consider moving to portraits.

[@BerndtOtto]

Sei nicht so hart zu Dir selbst. Gerade in der Large Format Fotografie sind so viele Fehler möglich und das wird auch sicherlich nicht Dein letzter gewesen sein. 😜 Das ist das Abenteuer Analoge Fotografie. 🤷🏼‍♂️ Außerdem ist es der typische Vorführeffekt. Wenn man vor seiner Familie was zaubern will, geht ganz sicher immer irgendwas schief. 😉

[@KarinMajoka]

Das stimmt, es gibt so viele Fehlerquellen, dass ich damit rechne, dass noch vieeeele folgen werden. Aber wenn man das Wissen hat und lediglich aus Unaufmerksamkeit oder Pech einen Fehler macht fühlt sich das vermutlich noch einmal anders an als (wie in dem Fall) wenn man einfach absolut keinen Plan hat was man tut 😅 naja, es kann nur besser werden und man lernt ja zum Glück konstant dazu! :)